An 8-Day Itinerary Under ₹50,000 To Experience The Best Of Thailand

Thailand is the jewel of south east Asia. With easy access from India, its' tropical weather, pristine islands and crazy party scenes offer the best of both worlds for a first time traveller seeking an international travel experience.

So if the smell of Thai curry makes to salivate and the James Bond Island channels your inner bond girl/boy, then scroll below to find the ultimate Thailand itinerary in ₹50,000 only!

Getting there

Thailand is connected to all major cities in India. You can choose from a variety of options like Jet Airways, Bangkok Airways, Air India, and yours' truly; Air Asia. We took Jet Airways and landed at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok.

Be very careful of your onward booking. If you have an immediate flight to catch then make sure it is at least 4-5 hours later. All domestic flights in Bangkok operate from Don Muang Airport which is 30 -45 mins away from the International Airport. So keep requisite buffer as you will have to clear immigration and Visa formalities.

A typical round trip to Bangkok should cost you Rs 23,000 Mumbai> Bangkok.

Visa formalities

Thailand offers visa on arrival for tourists who are staying for less than 15 days. This costs 1000 BAHT, ie 2000 INR. You will have to carry your passport, your return tickets, a hotel booking proof and visa compatible photographs.

Things to do in Thailand

In 10 days, you will get to cover 3 important locations

1) Bangkok - Typically known for its modern - cum cultural humdrum - 2 days

2) Krabi and Phi Phi - Stunning Islands - 4 days

3)Chiang Mai - True Cultural Epicentre - 2 days

Check out this video to see a glimpse of what the itinerary looks like

Sawasdee kha! Say hello to Bangkok.

Bangkok will give you a nice mix of modern lifestyle, culture, architecture and night life. Since we arrived in Bangkok late evening we begun with hitting the Khao San Road directly. This is in Bangkok's backpacker district and the energy of the night markets is to die for. Drink Chang beer from the street, eat wacky insect snacks, and throw in some scorpions as well. Party like no one is watching, as the street is filled with people dancing.

What to eat : street food which costs not more than 100-150 baht per head (300 INR)

Visit the Grand Bangkok Palace which is the official residence of the King of Thailand. Make this a day trip and ensure you are dressed appropriately ( hands and legs covered) since the palace also houses temples/ Wats. The Palace entry fee is about 500 Baht, (1000 INR) and includes the entry to the to Wat Phra ( Temple of Emerald Buddha), the coins and the textile museum. This location should easily take 4-5 hours to complete at leisure. We however ran off to another location since we had a flight to catch to Krabi later in the day.

Post this, visit the temple of the Reclining Buddha - Wat Pho. This site is a delight as you will be awestruck by the 46 meter gold plated reclining Buddha. The site has lush gardens and gushing fountains.

Where to stay: Very cheap and modern hostels are available in Bangkok to cut your stay costs. we stayed at Once again hostel located very close to Khao San Street. The hostel costs 900-1000 per head per night. Read a detailed review of this hostel here and book this hostel from here.

Picture Courtesy : Hostel World

Late evening get set to catch a flight to Krabi from Don Muang Airport. You will easily get an airport shuttle from Khao San Street worth 150-200 baht.

Modes of Transport you should know of:

You can choose from other modes of transport ranging from Uber < Shuttle< taxi< Tuktuk. Tuk tuks are most expensive and there are no fixed rates they work on. Taxis are safe and also work on fixed meter. If they ask you to pay above the meter rate, don't! Shuttles and busses are great too and you can also use the metro to travel in the city. Always ask people of your hostel to know the best and the cheapest way to get to your destination.

Well, yes they have 1 vegetarian option on their menu. It’s love at first sight as the food is so good visually and the flavours are to die for. Notice the peanuts, green onion, mushroom and Thai chilli?. Read a detailed blog on things to eat in Thailand here

Krabi welcomes you with islands filled with white sands, corals, and natural swings. While the waters are so azure that you cannot identify how many colours of blue can you see.

Getting there : You can get to Krabi by an evening flight from Bangkok although they are more expensive than morning. It costs about 1400 Baht from Airasia (Base rate is 890 + value pack 523 baht).

Pro Tip : If you are new to booking on Air Asia, note that a value pack is important to take, since the base rate does not include baggage allowance. There is a meal allowance in the value pack, but is of no use to vegetarians since they serve Tuna sandwich (across any flight you take).Non vegetarians can however rejoice!

Once you land at Krabi airport, you can reach Aao Nang in 150 baht (300 INR per head). The shuttle will drop you to your hostel directly.

Krabi, Seven island tour - Costs 1000 baht per head (2000 INR). This tour can be bought from Aao Nang market. The tour will begin by 12 noon and finish by 8.30 pm in the night. Serenade the beautiful islands like Tup island, Chicken island, Poda island and many more. The tour includes water plus a meal in the night. The night ends with a fire show and plankton viewing. Although we didn't see a display of plankton as bright as Maldives!

Don't call it a night yet. Join the inmates of your hostel for a Krabi Pub Crawl. This costs 400 Baht, Rs 800 which includes a free shot at each bar

Kayaking Tour, Krabi : Costs 400 baht per person (800 INR) for a half day trip. This is a 2 person kayaking tour which lasts about 6 hours. The pick arrives at 7.30 in the morning and the Kayaking is completed around 3 pm in the afternoon. Small time refreshments with fruits is served during the trip but no lunch. Read a detailed update on the Kayaking experience here

Phi Phi Tour, Krabi - Costs 1200 baht, and is a full day tour. You will be picked up at 8 am and come back by 4pm. Phi Phi is about an hour from Krabi and the tour takes you to Maya Bay ( fame, the movie Beach), Viking Cave, Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island. Read a detailed update on the islands in Thailand here

Jungle Tour, Krabi- This was the most exciting tour which includes climbing 1260 steps to the tiger cave temple, followed by an elephant camp visit, succeeded by a visit to the hot springs and the gorgeous Emerald Pool. Costs 1200 baht, 2400 INR

This should get over by 5pm in the evening. Post this head to Krabi airport to catch a flight to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

Where to stay: if crazy parties are your scene, and you are game for free vodka and bbq in the night,then Slumber Party Hostel and Bar, Aao Nang is your go-to place. This hostel costs between INR600-900 a night for a bed with free breakfast. Check out detailed blog on his hostel here

Picture Courtesy : Slumber Party Facebook Page

What to eat: Mostly ate street food which included raw papaya salad, stir fry noodles, loads of fruit and coconut ice cream for dessert. Food should cost you 250 -300 baht a day and alcohol should be 60-80 baht depending from where you buy

Pro Tip: The islands are low on water. No one, not even your hostel,will serve you free water in a glass. Water is only bottled and has to be bought. Ensure you hoard on to the free bottles you get on these tours. You can take these back to the hostel and save up on money.

Chiang Mai is where you will experience the real Thai culture. You will find temples/ Wats mushrooming everywhere, night markets selling Thai silk, scrumptious Thai food along with the best in class Thai massage. This was the most 'at home' I have felt anywhere I have travelled, including India.

Getting there: Use Airasia which costs about 1400 baht ie 3000 INR. Process of booking is the same as explained for Krabi before.

Spend the day renting a bike and exploring the old city. It has many magnificent temples to explore which can be done by lunch time, if you start by morning. Bike renting costs700 baht for 2 people for 1 day.

Post that head to Doi Suthep on your bike. Doi Suthep is northern Thailand's most sacred temples. This beautiful wat embellished in gold overlooks the city in glory.Hike, bicycle or ride to it; in all options you will be welcomed by a beautiful Temple that will leave an everlasting impact on you. The ride can complete by 8.30pm.

Shop till you drop as this is the last day in Bangkok. We had specifically kept this on the last day and not first, since we would have to travel the entire holiday with shopping. Head to Platinum Fashion Mall which itself will take a full day to finish. The mall is basically a aggragation of a whole lot of wholesalers put under 1 roof. The prices start from 300 baht for a decent piece of clothing. No bargaining! They hate it. Mall is equipped with wifi and ensure to keep yourself cashed up. Retailers accept cash only!